Bulbs

1. Bulbs

2. What is a bulb? • A bulb is next year's plant neatly packaged and surrounded by scale leaves, immature leaves, flower stems, and sometimes even flower buds. • The whole bulb is neatly wrapped in a papery brown tunic.

3. 5 Different Bulbs • True bulbs • Corms • Tubers • tuberous roots • Rhizomes.

4. True Bulbs • Two types: tunicate bulbs and imbricate bulbs • The true bulb has five major parts. It contains the basal plate, fleshy scales, tunic, the shoot (consisting of developing flower and leaf buds), and lateral buds. • Examples : tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, grape hyacinths (muscari), and alliums.

6. Corms • A corm is a swollen stem base that is modified into a mass of storage tissue. • The corm contains a basal plate, thin tunic and a growing point. • Examples : gladiolus, crocus, and autumn crocus

8. Tubers • A tuber differs from the true bulb and the corm by not having a basal plant from which roots develop and not having a protective tunic covering. • Examples: potato

10. Tuberous Roots • The tuberous root differs from other root structures by the nutrient reserves being stored in an actual root instead of an enlarged stem. • Example : Begonia and dahlia

11. Tuberous Roots

12. Rhizomes • Rhizomes differ from other storage structures by growing horizontally under the surface of the soil. • Example: lily-of-the-valley